85M pounds of rotting meat threatens biohazard at Boyle Heights blaze

Emergency services are in a race against time to stop a potential biohazard fallout from a huge Los Angeles warehouse fire, with the building now threatening to collapse.

Firefighters have been battling the inferno at Lineage Logistics’ 500,000 square foot facility in Boyle Heights since Wednesday afternoon, drenching it with water that has slowly eroded the building’s structural integrity.

Inside, 85 million pounds of frozen bread and meat products have been decaying, prompting fears from both Mayor Karen Bass and Los Angeles Fire Department Chief Jaime Moore of a potential biohazard fallout.

“The food’s not savable, unfortunately,” Chief Moore said during a Saturday press conference, “according to FOX 11.

“What we’re dealing with now is 85 million pounds of food that’s about to go bad and to spoil… It’s a biohazard emergency and that’s why we’ve called out to the state.”

The complex situation led to Governor Gavin newsroom issuing a state of emergency Saturday night to give Los Angeles additional resources and assistance.

“It’s not just like an open warehouse, it’s giant refrigerators that are as big as rooms,” Jamie Stewart, a fire department spokesperson, told the Los Angeles Daily News.

Despite the sustained fire that has lasted on and off since Wednesday, the building has remained relatively cold — measuring about 45 degrees, but Moore said that won’t last and what’s next will be very “unpleasant.”

“I wouldn’t say it’s potentially dangerous; it would be unpleasant,” the LAFD chief said, according to NBC 4. “It would be a horrible odor, but what we’re looking at is what those gases would produce or create.

“We’ve already mitigated the hazardous materials portion by removing the ammonia and other chemicals that were used as refrigerants … now, it’s really what’s going to happen when this food starts decomposing?”

The LAFD is now planning on how to remove the millions of pounds of spoiled meat, but underscored that the situation “remains a complex, long-duration incident that will require sustained operations.”

Emergency personnel are also monitoring the large plumes of smoke that continue to impact the area — fortunately, air monitoring shows no additional toxic chemicals or hazards. 

However, residents are encouraged to limit exposure outside. 

The fire started around Wednesday afternoon, but it’s still not clear what caused the building to go up in flames. 

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